Use of computer-assisted translation (CAT) systems

In many translation projects, the application of specially developed programs can provide useful support in the translation process. If required, we therefore offer you the opportunity to have your texts processed with so-called CAT tools.

The abbreviation CAT stands for computer-aided translation or computer-assisted translation. The CAT tools MemoQ, SDL Trados Studio and Multitrans that we use are based on translation memory systems. During the translation process, these systems save the respective pairs from the original text and the translation sentence for sentence in a customer-specific database (TM) once these individual segments have been confirmed as being a correct equivalent by the translator.

If this translator or another translator works on one of your next projects, Trados and Multitrans access the text pairs saved in the TM. Similar or identical sentences are highlighted and presented to the translator as a suggestion, and these sentences can be accepted or rejected for the new text as appropriate.

This ensures that recurrent terminology and repeatedly encountered text blocks are used consistently with the same equivalent in the target language – regardless of how long ago the translation was last processed or which translator was used. This not only ensures the consistency of the terminology in your documents from project to project but can also save time and thus costs in the long term.

If you are interested in the use of CAT tools, whether for creating a customer-specific database or a glossary with the terms important to you, please get in touch with your personal project manager, who will give you competent advice on this subject.